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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24896221">Love After Death</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FortReveuse20/pseuds/FortReveuse20'>FortReveuse20</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Canon Related, Drama, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Manga &amp; Anime, Manga Spoilers, Marley Arc (Shingeki no Kyojin), Older Eren Yeager, Reader is an Ackerman, Reader-Insert, Romance, Season 4 Spoilers, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Some Plot, Violence, some language</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:00:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24896221</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FortReveuse20/pseuds/FortReveuse20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(Manga spoilers!) </p><p>Older!Eren x F!Reader (reader has a name!)</p><p>Eren's days were numbered; that he knew for a fact. The person he used to be was long dead. In what way could he possibly stop to notice what was right in front of him? He had a mission to complete, and delicacies that people often indulged in passed him right by. Love was something that had never once crossed his mind. When you and him connect paths during his hiding in Marley, Eren slowly starts to question everything he ever wanted.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eren Yeager &amp; Reader, Eren Yeager/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>388</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Attack on Titan, Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I edited this chapter a bit, because I wanted to make this even better! Now that I have a solid idea I want to go for with this story, I am adding little details here and there that (hopefully) do a better job at foreshadowing lol.</p><p>Enjoy!~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Bubbling laughter erupted from a feminine voice as birds sang their songs in unison to the lovely sight before Eren. Golden sunlight from the fading sparkle of colorful skies bathed the two figures before him; a woman and a girl holding hands and sharing looks of vivacious glee as they pranced further into the plush terrain of the front yard. Purple orchids and white roses were trimmed neatly around the cobblestone path to the porch from Eren’s current position. The warm summer evening wrapped around Eren’s arms with a gentle secureness he felt only from his mother. The breeze was mild, pleasant, serene.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Endless fields spanned out as far as Eren could see, and he took a moment to glance around at his surroundings. A tall, worn oak tree that groaned with protesting age against its deep roots stood proudly a few yards away, adorned with a makeshift swing over its thick branch from above. To the left of the tree was a bench that told many stories, where one could socialize, eat, or go to watch the horizon of emerald green hills. A sturdy white barn entered his peripheral from the right, held high with a shadowed roof touched by sunset and boxed with a large area between pale, short fences.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren tore his gaze back to the figures in front of them, long (h/c) curls fell gracefully over the woman’s back and swiveled over the white cotton dress she wore. The girl she conjoined hands with had a dark brown braid woven down her back, looking to the side at the woman with tangible joy. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>With the sun’s rays shining so violently over their heads, Eren could not see who the woman was, nor identify any facial features. He only heard her bubbling giggle fill the night air, flowing softly in the wind. He could not look away, and through his blissed-out dream, he found himself feeling addicted to her laughter. It was beautiful, honey-flavored medicine that warmed his entire chest and abdomen.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>From his place on the porch, Eren’s stupor suddenly ended, and he found himself peering down at his feet. He could feel the leather patching pressing against his heels, the solid wooden planks of the front porch below him, strands of his long hair tickling his cheek in tandem with the blowing breeze… he was dreaming about another memory. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Unsure what to make of things, why he felt so at peace, Eren briefly decided it must be his successor’s memories… such a happy thing did not belong to him. He would only know peace when death knocked forebodingly on his door in four years.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A slap to the face, stinging his awareness with a chill like icy water, the voice of the woman enticed him back to her; completely erasing his spiraling thoughts about mortality. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Eren.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He did not deserve such gentleness, such liquid softness that encompassed her voice as his name left her lips. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>With a dramatic zoom, Eren’s field of vision narrowed in on her eyes, displaying swirling (e/c) glittering in the atmosphere of his dream-like state.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then, he woke up.</em>
</p><p>Familiar, rusty smells tinged the air as bleeding corpses and injured soldiers surrounded Eren in their sad beds around the room. He wanted to groan at the misery of it all, wondering how much longer he could withstand the pathetic whimpers of his comrades before <em>he</em> would start losing his mind.</p><p>A nurse shook him firmly by the shoulder, lips pressed into a thin line before releasing them to speak.</p><p>“Mr. Kruger, we’re going to have to isolate you because of your fever. Come with me, please.”</p><p>Nodding silently, he allowed the nurse to lift him into a seating position so that she could help him to his foot and crutch. Ignoring the sticky feeling of sweat-stained clothes on his body, Eren obeyed the instructions she gave him wordlessly, mind drifting back to the dream he had. </p><p>The dream of peace.</p><p>:::</p><p>Crisp dawn greeted the town with a capricious atmosphere. The small apartment on the second floor held no windows, forgotten to outside sun to provide natural light. It was a feat that often left you restless and sullen the longer you stayed indoors.</p><p>Releasing a yawn and peeling open sleepy eyes, stiff muscles stretched gratefully after hours of stillness, and a neck crack released tension from the flimsy support your pillow provided during the night. Thankfully, you were only meeting with some hospital staff today to see what you could do to bring more bread on the table. Otherwise, you were sure to try and find work elsewhere… perhaps in the industrial zone if you really had to.</p><p>You shuddered at the thought of having to go down to the industrial zone as a last resort for more work. Surely, one glance down at your petite form would have the workers there laughing you right out. No one wanted a cursed Eldian woman who could barely hold her own weight to work with complex, heavy machinery and inventions.</p><p>But, again, it was a last resort and today was an opportunity with the hospital that you couldn’t miss. You had books upon books collected over the years that outlined basic medical knowledge. Being a bored kid, you used to skim across the worn pages, rough diagrams, and confusing terminology that littered the pages like art. When your father was still alive, he’d often come home to see you lying belly up on the floor, tongue sticking out to the side as you absorbed words you didn’t fully understand. With an amused chuckle, he’d simply hang his coat by the front door and continue doddering around the house, leaving you to your reading.</p><p>Snoring softly at the side of your bed was your favorite furry companion, Maya. The sweetheart was sleeping soundly, and you gave her a warm grin, ensuring not to wake her up from blissful slumber. She was your lone companion the past year, showing you nothing but love and loyalty during your budding adulthood.</p><p>You sling your legs over to the side of the bed and slip on your boots, noticing the worn leather and poor stitching near the soles. Perhaps if all went well with your upcoming meeting, within a few weeks, you could treat yourself to a new pair of shoes.</p><p>Shaking off the newfound pining you carried for some boots, you trot your way over to the wash basin on your dresser to wash away sweat and grime from the previous humid night. Cool beads of water dripped down your face in a satisfying manner as you emerged from dipping your face in the refreshing bowel. Vibrant (e/c) eyes were shut tightly as you reached blindly for a nearby towel to dry off your face and return the lost sight. You were merely doing daily bathing, yet, you planned on putting in more to your appearance.</p><p>You supposed extra effort in your appearance for the soldiers and hospital staff could be beneficial in landing favor for the new job you wanted so badly.</p><p>Though, realistically, you knew that your mere existence and mandatory armband held you as nothing but true vermin in the eyes of any Marleyan. Appearances be damned.</p><p>At least you had some semblance of hope in your dreary, young life. Looking ahead without losing sight of what was in front of you proved to be useful in maintaining your own sanity.</p><p>Sitting down at the small, rickety vanity in the adjacent corner by your bed and situated between two windows, you slowly began to brush and detangle the long mass of hair that resided over your shoulder. It must be waist-length by now, you concluded. If you had any hopes of gathering attention of a man better off than you— even in Liberio— you knew you had to look as feminine as possible. That was what you figured, anyhow. That’s what you overheard women on the streets talking about whenever they wanted to entice men into dating them.</p><p>Glancing out the window, absentmindedly wondering what to do with your locks, you notice two figures dart by and stop in the alleyway outside that resided behind your apartment complex. It was a young woman and a smaller, young girl— clearly the woman was chasing her, but she held a radiant smile on her face. The little girl was laughing, amused at herself for her seemingly impromptu game of tag. You smile at the sight, wondering how lovely it would be to experience that sort of familial bond.</p><p>But it was a fleeting thought. One that strung an uncomfortable cord in your chest. Your mother… well, it was best to let her soul rest while you lived on with buried memories that burned your heart to think about. She was not a kind woman.</p><p>Strangely, what gathered your attention was the young woman stopping behind the girl to straighten the ribbon tied neatly behind her hair in a half up, half down style. <em>How pretty</em>, you thought to yourself.</p><p>Then, the pieces in your mind clicked together with starry-eyed recognition.</p><p>A small smile flitted to your lips as you peered around the room to see if there were any leftover ribbons.</p><hr/><p>The marketplace was as lively as you remembered. Judging by the sun’s placement in the balmy, clear sky, you deduced that it was a few hours before noon. A trip to gather some apples for your pie later wouldn’t hurt anything. Sweets and baking delicious pies were a <em>priority</em> to you. Surely, you had time to spare before your meeting.</p><p>Fortunately, the Shatz family was gifted with a special ration of two dozen apples as payment for covering their newest article in the newspaper. Though they were indeed Eldians that used to reside in the internment zone, the Shatz’s held a mild amount of respect with the Marley officials. Rolling your eyes at the sheer thought of such silly ass-kissing (as you preferred to call it), Mr. Shatz was only somewhat favored for his biased entries that portrayed Marley in the best light as possible.</p><p>But, your mind drifted back to food and the task at hand. Sure, apples were just apples. But to the Eldians in the internment zone, they could easily become a luxury among many families.</p><p>Your mouth watered in thought when you recalled the moment Alinde Shatz, the youngest daughter of the family, skipped up to you with a beaming smile on her freckled, sun-kissed face. The young woman, who was about a year younger than you, took your shoulders and gently shook them in excitement, happiness radiating from her when she shared the news of receiving apples and getting recognition from Marley for her family’s newspaper entry.</p><p>Smiling softly at the memory, you gather the satchel from over your shoulder and make your way down the dusty alleys toward the Shatz residence.</p><p>Stuck in stubborn naivety, you are unaware of the presence several feet behind you as it creeps up with an unsuspecting jolt. Static in the air, some unseen force, causes the hair on your neck to stand up. Yet you sensed no danger.</p><p>You only have time to crane your neck to the side to glance over your shoulder at the footsteps trailing behind you as a small <em>‘hm?’</em> escapes your lips. As your mouth opens to amicably greet the individual, a split-second passes before a force knocks you forward.</p><p>In an effort to regain some footing, you try spinning around mid-fall only for your petite stature to cause a wobbly balance and land you ungracefully on your rear. You could feel the air leave your lungs in a small grunt, adrenaline pumping in protest to the sudden action.</p><p>Dread fills the pit of your stomach. You knew something wasn’t quite right as you peer in front of you at the three approaching figures. You were alone, defenseless, and isolated in the alley. Not to mention that the sun above was obstructing your vision from making out clear identities on the perpetrators.</p><p>As they draw nearer, you squint up at the figures as they stare down at you. They keep a few feet of distance and still haven’t gathered the courage to really <em>do</em> much of anything other than chuckle lightly to themselves at their successful action of shoving you to the ground.</p><p>The sun beaming behind their heads make it difficult to distinguish the face of the people in front of you, but it’s clear by the tilt of their head that they’re indeed staring down at you.</p><p>Like hunters to prey.</p><p>Before the group of young soldiers could approach any closer, a fourth figure parts the group down the middle, separating the cluster of them.</p><p>The mysterious new figure places a strong grip on the shoulder of the person to his right before speaking. “Okay, settle down boys. I can handle this one here.”</p><p>Within a flash, the three young men who were about to terrorize you quickly disburse at the figure’s words. Yet, in a way, the airy voice was a clear giveaway to identify your apparent savior.</p><p>Dressed in standard uniform given to all Public Security Authority officials, your best friend Bode Finnick approached you with a smile; sun no longer obstructing your vision above you as his grinning face came into view. An outstretched hand hoisted you back onto your feet with a soft grunt escaping your mouth at the sudden motion.</p><p>“Normally, people tend to be more aware of their surroundings, Kathrin.” You brush the debris from the ground off your cerulean skirt as Bode speaks to you. There’s an underlying sense of humor in his tone at his attempt of scolding you. His concern at times was as endearing as it could be annoying— like a feeling one might associate with an older sibling or family member.</p><p>Yes, perhaps you were a dreamer in more ways than one, and that carried over to how you went about your daily life. But at least you <em>dreamt</em>. A brief memory of your father’s words to you when you were younger pass through your mind.</p><p>
  <em>‘Where there is life, there is hope.’</em>
</p><p>“Thanks,” you respond simply. You straighten out your simple white blouse before tucking the loose bits at the ends back into the waistline of your skirt. Thankfully, there were no dirt smudges or stains that could hinder your forthcoming appointment at the hospital.</p><p>Finally glancing up to get a clearer view of Bode, it was no surprise to see he was still grinning down at you with humor dancing excitedly in his icy blue eyes. “Oh, don’t mention it. What I wouldn’t do for my best friend, right?”</p><p>You roll your eyes and let out a small smile of your own that doesn’t reach your eyes, peering around his shoulder behind him to see that the previous group of officers were long gone. “You’re an officer… shouldn’t you be closer to them?”</p><p>Not always, but whenever the PSA made their rounds patrolling the area, you would see clusters of them— usually poking fun or terrorizing Eldian residents before you turned tail and ran in the opposite direction to avoid an officer notice you gaping. Things could get ugly very quickly for bystanders.</p><p>Your knowledge of observing supposed comradery between the PSA or Marleyan officers stopped there. You could only go by what you saw in your area of Eastern Liberio, and the stories you heard circling around about the confines of the internment zone.</p><p>However, peering up at Bode’s expression took you aback. No longer was humor twirling in his eyes, nor were his lips curved upwards on one side as they normally were. The young blonde man dropped his gaze to the pavement by his feet, face turning into a deep and joyless scowl.</p><p>“I’ve seen some of them do some things to those living here… nasty things. Trust me, it’s better that I stepped in before they did anything.” Whatever it was that Bode had seen, whatever he was haunted by, you knew not to pry. Again, you had no doubt in your mind that the PSA, Marley citizens, and military treated Eldians like cockroaches on a good day— but to see Bode, your normally cheeky and bright friend, cast his gaze downward in a somber expression. It left your stomach in anxious knots.</p><p>Whatever he had been through, the way his features darkened into an unfamiliar image before you sent shivers throughout your body. You didn’t want your imagination to linger too long on what Bode might have seen during his time in the PSA.</p><p>“But they didn’t do anything,” you protested, perhaps with a bit more edge to your tone than you intended to release. “They knocked me over but I’m completely fine. Not a single scratch or bruise on me.” You straightened your spine and held your head up high, offering Bode a reassuring smile to prove that all was well.</p><p>“But they <em>could have</em> done <em>something</em>. Kathrin…” his voice trailed off, the anxious and sullen emotion still painted heavy on his features and tone. “Please.” Light blue eyes met your (e/c) ones, searching back and forth with a sense of desperation as he held onto your shoulders for emphasis.</p><p>“Alright…” you concur slowly, “I’m sorry.” As Bode released his desperate latch on your shoulders, seeming to relax slightly at your words, you decide the best thing to do in order to dispel the newfound tension is to change the subject.</p><p>“I appreciate it, Bode. Do you mind escorting me to the Shatz’s place? I need to pick up some apples from them for a pie later. Alinde offered me a few when they received them the other day.”</p><p>The two of you began exiting the alley in which you were standing and back onto the main street where a few residents were out and about, passing the two of you without much worry.</p><p>As quickly as it came, the dark blonde’s demeanor shifted back into his normal self; sly grin and all. “Should’ve known you’d be on your way over there. You’re always over there or hanging out with Alinde.”</p><p>You placed your hands on your hips with mock annoyance and a small, teasing scoff. “Hey! It’s not my fault that Mrs. Shatz cooks some amazing dishes! I’ve known Alinde for many years now. Besides, Kirsa and Fick are nice— I just really enjoy that family’s company.”</p><p>Bode merely let out a chuckle and continued escorting you to the residence where the Shatz family resided, since you lived on the other side of the city; near the internment zone gate. Eventually, you passed by what looked to be a central stage area where soldiers and Marley officials were gathered, seemingly preparing for something in the future.</p><p>“Is there a performance they plan on doing or something?” you ask distractedly. The large area surrounding the stage would easily fit hundreds of people for whatever was planned.</p><p>“Dunno,” Bode shrugs, furrowing his brows in equal amounts of curiosity as he observed the setup taking place. “But judging by their progress, it won’t be ready for a few weeks. Honestly… I’m sure it’s just another propaganda rally.”</p><p>Ah, that made sense. Every so often, either Willy Tybur or some Marleyan officials would enter the city to preach on about how the Eldians were the devils. Ironic, really, if you considered their precise location that they decided to give a speech from. Their goal was to convince even the Eldians themselves that they were horrible people that needed to die out, a facet you’ve grown accustomed to since your birth. Even so, you shook off your inquisitive thoughts and continued heading to the apartment complex behind where the stage was situated.</p><p>You wondered if Mr. Shatz was home, seeing how he was recognized for his article covering the Marley navy’s “successful” efforts recently from the Mid-East War. In reality, you were certain that all ships sent during the war were destroyed by the enemy, so it was likely untruthful propaganda in order to serve nationalism between the people of Marley. That’s why the family got the apples you so desperately craved. Sweets and fruits would continue to be a guilty pleasure of yours for as long as you lived. Though, you supposed that appeared to be a selfish reason to visit the Shatz’s— your sole reason wasn’t just for apples. It had been a few months since your last visit to their home and it was something you were looking forward to.</p><p>Rounding the sharp turn to the central alleyway where the Shatz’s lived, you and Bode silently noted that the streets were much livelier than normal for an early morning.</p><p>You barely had time to knock twice before the front door of the apartment complex swung open, revealing the wide-set and energetic Mrs. Shatz in all her glory. Dressed in her typical, dark clothes she favored so much, a long skirt and appropriate blouse adorned her body to give off a refined yet simple style.</p><p>“Come in! Come in!”</p><p>You could only release a small gasp of surprise as the older woman gripped your wrist and pulled you toward her and into her home. Bode, standing behind you, merely shook his head with a small chuckle before following behind and joining the scene through the doorway. He quietly shut the front door behind him and stood off to the side, observing quietly.</p><p>The taller, dark-haired woman gathered you in a crushing hug, effectively rocking you in her grasp as though she was a mother who hadn’t seen her child in a long time.</p><p>“Kathrin Gruber! It’s so good to see you, dear. And Bode! You haven’t aged a day over twenty-three. Such young faces you both have!” Mrs. Shatz looked between the two of you with a rather comical twist of her head, gushing and smiling in adoration of two young adults she had grown rather fond of.</p><p>Still, the two of you barely had time to think before the woman was at it again, quickly hurdling high amounts of nosy energy at you with another flurry of sentences. “Oh, please tell me all about this new exciting job you have lined up working at the hospital! Working alongside official Marleyan staff, learning new medical procedures… tell me all the details!”</p><p>Your mind desperately tried to process and soak in the information you received in the past thirty seconds. Thankfully, a bright and shining savior must have sensed your stupor from the other room, because Mrs. Shatz’s eldest daughter approached the three of you in the foyer. “Mother come on. They’ve just walked in the door. Let’s allow our guests to have some breathing room before piling on questions.”</p><p>You exhaled an inaudible breath, grateful to the brunette woman diffusing the situation before Mrs. Shatz would have killed you— either by crushing you in her larger stature, or by bombarding you with way too many questions and words at one time. Neither outcome was an ideal way to kick the bucket if someone were to ask.</p><p>Kirsa smiled politely at the both of you with a slightly formal bow of her head. You liked the eldest daughter: she was a bit stiff and quiet at times, only really speaking unless spoken to. But there was an air of maturity, classiness, and subtle reform in her small brown eyes.</p><p>“I’m just happy to see these two together, here in my home,” Mrs. Shatz explained with a warm smile. “Alinde is out making rounds delivering papers, so I’ll have Fick fetch your share of apples from upstairs. I’m sure that’s what you’re here for, hm?”</p><p>“Fick!” Kirsa called, only to be met with silence. The thin, young woman huffed and settled her hands on her hips. “That boy needs to be more prompt and answer when called.”</p><p>A small figure with auburn-colored hair zoomed by, entering the room where the four of you were gathered and settled in between his mother and older sister. Kirsa grabbed his arm before he could run off again.</p><p>“Fick, enough running around like that. You should have been upstairs prepping the satchel for Ms. Gruber.” You felt awkward at the prospect of being called by something so formal rather than simply your first name; considering you’d known this family for quite some time. But, having Kirsa prod respect out of the younger boy... you knew it was quite characteristic of her.</p><p>“But I did!” Fick protested with a small whine, revealing the large sack of apples he was carrying over his shoulder. He yanked himself from his older sister’s grasp and approached you with a wide smile. “Hey there, Kathrin!”</p><p>Kirsa made a noise that resembled distaste after reminding him to call you a “miss"; though the ten-year-old in front of you didn’t seem to mind nor care.</p><p>You also liked Fick; the rambunctious boy had energy that rivaled his mother’s. But he was still sociable, kind, and treated you with the same amount of admiration as the rest of his family.</p><p>You ruffled his short, wispy hair with a smile. “It’s good to see you, Fick.”</p><p>“And you too, mister.” Fick nodded solemnly in the direction of Bode, who was silently watching the interaction between you and the family the entire time. The two of them didn’t get along as well as you and the young boy did, and understandably so. A healthy amount of distrust was placed on any PSA officer no matter who they were. Their reputation wasn’t the greatest— though you knew that not all officers were racist monsters who beat on Eldians for fun. Some, like Bode, appreciated and respected Eldians like yourself. He saw you as a <em>person</em>, something you were fortunate to experience.</p><p>As Fick handed you the satchel of apples with a grimace at its weight, you bid your farewells to the family. Mrs. Shatz made sure to wave you goodbye in a rather dramatic manner, insisting that you join them for dinner in the evening so she could know how your meeting went.</p><p>As Bode and you left the street, you couldn’t help but become rather self-aware of his presence still walking in tandem with you. You stop in place, letting the heavy bag of apples hang limply by the ground at your feet.</p><p>“Bode?” you begin calmly, swiveling in his direction. “I’ll be going to the hospital for a meeting… so you won’t need to escort me back home.”</p><p>By no means were you annoyed… simply confused.</p><p>Bode turned to you, blinking a few times before answering. “Well, yeah, I know. But I’m escorting you to the hospital, as well. That’s kinda why I’m still with you. Silly.” Bode chuckled, giving you a dubious yet playful look all the same.</p><p>You shifted in your place. “I guess that’s a fair point,” you concluded. You hadn’t really thought how beneficial it could be to have a PSA officer by you in case things at the hospital went wrong. You could easily be turned away, even with the papers you carried in your shirt pocket authorizing you to your scheduled meeting and job at the hospital in the first place.</p><p>Bode was thinking the same thing, the look on his face and in his eyes as he bore down at you was apparent, but he wasn’t saying it. Too many people had already begun walking by on the street and both of you knew that it wouldn’t look decent if a PSA officer and an Eldian were talking about working together— <em>in any way</em>. It didn’t matter what the subject was.</p><p>Sure, there was distrust harbored toward the PSA officers from the Eldian residents, yet there was also something akin to fearful respect.</p><p>The blonde man surprised you slightly as he reached a hand to trace the bow tying half of your hair up. “I meant to bring this up, but why are you dressed up for this?” His tone was jovial, teasing. He then pointed to your face. “You have some rose-colored tint on your cheeks and lips, too. Who’re you trying to impress, Kathrin?”</p><p>His chuckle at your appearance left you feeling moderately self-conscious. It wasn’t really for anyone <em>specific</em>, but simply to look presentable to those in charge in order to land a job. Besides, your rosy makeup tint that you purchased last summer for your birthday was something you rarely had a chance to use.</p><p>“I might just be a PSA officer, but Marleyans aren’t going to care how good you look,” Bode continued. “I know that much. If you land this job, working in a hospital isn’t exactly glamorous work.”</p><p>“So…” you trail off jokingly, only mildly disappointed at the facts he gave you. “I put extra effort into my appearance this morning for nothing?”</p><p>Bode tried his best to be serious with his following reply, but the signs of a stifled grin and chuckle danced around his mouth as he spoke. “I mean, you may turn some heads in the ward— likely from hungry old men. But other than that, yes.”</p><p>You smirk and roll your eyes. Bode was always unforgivably honest. It was a trait you learned to admire and respect about him. In fact, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t pick up some blunt honesty at times as a result of being friends with him for so long.</p><p>Gripping tighter at the bag of apples at your feet, you tried lifting them again only to struggle more than you intended to. Bode quickly grabbed the bag from your sad clutch and swung the apples over his shoulder with swift ease.</p><p>You smiled up at him gratefully and he looked down and returned the gesture, silently reassuring you that there was no need to thank him.</p><hr/><p>Finally reaching the entrance to the city’s hospital after several minutes, Bode said his goodbyes; taking along your sack of apples with him so he could drop it off at your home for you.</p><p>Bode was right: seeing you, an Eldian, be escorted by a PSA officer to the hospital proved to be beneficial. An unofficial Marley guard outside stopped you to check for authorization, which you gladly showed him, but his attention was fixated on Bode. With a simple nod, he led you closer to the doors without much fuss at all. The guard was likely assigned there from the Marley military to keep watch and protect the exterior. You had no doubt a few were stationed inside the hospital as well, albeit reluctantly.</p><p>Some poorer, shabbier residents from the town that were gathered by the entrance caught your eye. Judging by their dirtied appearance, littered trash, empty bottles of beer, and huddled, cross-legged forms on the ground, you assumed they were most likely homeless; gambling away what little they possessed through playing cards with one another.</p><p>You briefly wonder how it got so bad for them to resort to what they were doing, but you knew it also wasn’t your place to internally judge them so harshly. You were positive that plenty of other residents already did that each day, all day.</p><p>Once inside the hospital corridors, the guard placed you in front of a man with raven-colored hair and a mustache. He was slim with tired eyes and appeared to be no older than forty. He looked at you with a drooping, bored expression.</p><p>“Kathrin Gruber, correct?”</p><p>“Yes sir.”</p><p>You brandish your authorization form in your hands to show him, but he doesn’t bother glancing down. Deflated, you slowly put your paper back into your shirt pocket. It took months for you to receive the form after applying. Still, this job was an excellent opportunity for you, and such a benign gesture from the doctor shouldn’t continue to upset you.</p><p>“Come with me,” he sighs, exasperated. Before you know it, his back is turned to you and he’s leading you down several hallways and rooms. “I’m Dr. Yanburg.”</p><p>“You’re an Eldian, and a new member here,” he stated. Ah, so that’s what his problem with you was. “I don’t care enough to go through a formal interview so I’m placing you under the supervision of a few nurses. We have some incoming Eldian soldiers that I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to get a chance to work with.”</p><p>Already, it had been less than five minutes upon meeting him, and you were sick of Dr. Yanburg’s arrogant observations and assumptions toward you. His comment about you apparently “wanting to” work with fellow Eldians left a bad taste in your mouth; his words dripped with condescending undertones. Yet, you should’ve been used to it… should’ve expected that sort of treatment. It’s not like it didn’t happen daily to unfortunate Eldians for simply breathing, anyway.</p><p>Kicking yourself for the childish naivety and optimism you wanted to outgrow desperately, you followed the doctor wordlessly, glancing here and there at the dingy Liberio hospital atmosphere as you wandered by rows of rooms.</p><p>The raven-haired doctor led you into a secluded room with no windows. It was no bigger than a shed but seemed to serve its purpose with a simple bed to the left, a wash basin, nightstand, and desk all crammed in the corner.</p><p>You surely shouldn’t have been, but you were surprised to see that there was already a patient lying up in the bed of the room, staring at the two of you invading his private and dark quarters.</p><p>“I’ll grab the nurse in a moment to explain more to you,” Dr. Yanburg specified with his sharp yet monotone voice. “This patient here is an Eldian soldier fresh from the war. He has amnesia and is going through trauma therapy like many of the others. Your first task is to change his bandages. Clean ones are already on the nightstand. <em>Get to it</em>.”</p><p>With that, Dr. Yanburg exited with an icy breeze as he passed by, closing the door and leaving you and the young man alone together.</p><p>You shift awkwardly in place by the closed door, fiddling with your fingers nervously. The patient had yet to utter a single sound at all, yet you could feel his burning stare the moment you entered the room.</p><p>Turning hesitantly to face him, your eyes first notice a crutch leaning against his bed, then your (e/c) orbs travel upward to finally meet his gaze.</p><p>One eye of his was bandaged and covered by messy, long brown strands, but the eye that wasn’t covered bore into you with an intense, viridescent gaze that pierced straight through you with jolting precision.</p><p>Suddenly feeling self-conscious under his watch, you avert your eyes down to the side and quickly shuffle over to the bandages. You were sure his eye was the prettiest you've seen, a unique color in the brief moments you mutually stared at him, but there was a lingering discomfort in there— something you couldn't quite comprehend. </p><p>As the patient in bed stayed eerily still, observing your every movement beside him, you were blissfully unaware of the flurry of thoughts that ran through his head about you.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wiping the pooling sweat from your hairline with your sleeve, you sighed softly before bending down to pick another bucketful of well water to bring to the central infirmary. The rusty metal can swished loudly as your elbows popped above its weight. Careful not to spill any remnants, you took cautious steps back into the building at a deliberate speed.</p><p>Walking past the same austere-looking doctor from earlier in the morning, he locked eyes with you and a firm grimace overtook his face before he swiftly turned around; offering you his backside as he resumed talking to one of the staff.</p><p>You shook off the disapproving glare you received, noting the way some staff— who were most definitely Marleyans— locked eyes with you before their gaze fell to your armband’s evocative history. They would clear way for you, scowling in disgust or whispering amongst themselves in equal agitation.</p><p>Your boots clacked in disapproval as the soles separated from the stitching in a near-painful manner for your already blistering feet. You felt silly for even <em>feeling</em> sore and tired, ashamed that your legs were angry with you over a simple pail of water. The day wasn’t even over and the sun had several hours before it would set. Bode was correct; working in a hospital was no mere feat, no glamorous task even for petite young women like yourself. It was hard work tasked with changing bandages that covered haunting scars and injuries that told tales of fallen comrades and traumas yet to be unseen. It was listening to moans and groans, cries from grown adults and young alike who mourned on physical and emotional levels. Each patient who was ‘fortunate’ enough to return from the Mid-East War, died in one way or another.</p><p>You gulped back tears at the thought whenever you entered the central psychiatric ward to tend to the more physical injuries they received while at war. You counted your lucky stars that you had only been trusted with basic tasks so far, dreading the days and nights when you would have to be subject to violent, psychological outbursts. No one would bat an eye if you, an Eldian, were to mysteriously vanish or wind up injured at the hands of unstable patients at a hospital in Liberio. You weren’t necessarily thrilled at the idea of dying, not without having some form of fulfillment in your life. For the moment, a better job that provided better opportunities for you as an Eldian in the country was your saving grace.</p><p>Were you pathetic for thinking so? You weren’t sure. You supposed there were far worse dreams to have. Or people with lower standards than yourself.</p><p>Physically having to remove yourself from being hindered by such horrific, worst-case thoughts at a future that was only a fleeting possibility, you shook your head and closed your eyes for a few moments, trying your hardest to clasp yourself back into reality— into what was right in front of you, moment by moment.</p><p>With a newfound air of confidence, you held your spine straight and strode back to your assigned patient, the main one you were put in charge of earlier in the morning. He was a mysterious one, ever since your eyes were given the pleasure of seeing him. He hadn’t spoken a word to you since you last saw him many hours ago. He hadn’t even spoken a word at all, merely nodded to your stuttering questions and nervous trudging around the room to fetch him whatever he needed. His uncovered sea green eye never left you, making the whole situation far more uncomfortable.</p><p>It wasn’t the look of a <em>creep</em>, no. He clearly held more respect across his rather impassive features. But you couldn’t quite make out what exactly had him so enthralled with you. Was he trying to figure you out… size you up? Perhaps if he were really that bored, you could suggest him a book would be far more interesting to read than yourself.</p><p>Walking further down the mundane, creaky floorboards to the corner room where your patient resided, you sidestepped a young blur flying toward you. Thankfully, none of the water in your pail splashed out onto the floor, and the perpetrator who nearly knocked you over, stopped in front of you.</p><p>It was a young boy with shaggy light brown hair and large hazel eyes that were unbelievably wide.</p><p>“I’m sorry!” he stuttered out.</p><p>Your gaze noticed that his direction he was coming from was indeed the room you were headed to. Sighing softly, you notice his Warrior candidate uniform and Eldian armband. If society taught you anything, it’s that <em>you</em> were the one who should’ve been apologizing regardless if he were at fault or not.</p><p>Glancing around to ensure no one was witness to this ordeal, you lean forward slightly to the panicky boy. “Why were you coming from that room just now?” you keep your voice as soft and light as possible.</p><p>You’d only started working there for a few hours, and if there were any unspoken rules that patients could not have visitors, you’d rather know now than face the consequences later. You’d been thrown into the mix with hardly an inkling of instruction, but more of an expectation to fill. One day… it hadn’t even been one day, and you could already face severe punishment for the simplest of things purely because of your race. You tensed up at the flurry of possibilities.</p><p>However, the nameless young Warrior candidate mistook your circumspect behavior as one of disapproval toward his suspicious actions. His naivety supposed you were going to get him in trouble with the way your shoulders tensed, and eyes darkened.</p><p>He appeared to pay no mind to your armband, instead contributing you as a figure of authority.</p><p>“Look, miss,” he began frantically, “I-I was visiting Mr. Kruger! He and I became friends a few days ago and well, I wanted to tell him something…” The boy’s voice trailed off then, his vibrant hazel orbs casting their gaze down to a point on the floor.</p><p>You knitted your brows together curiously. So, your patient’s name was Kruger. Nonetheless, you prodded him to continue. “Tell him what?”</p><p>His head lowered in an almost humorous manner, indicating how shy he felt in the moment… embarrassed. “Well, I… I wanted to thank him. For encouraging me…”</p><p>You felt the corners of your mouth lift in amusement before dropping down a second after. You set down the pail at your feet with a dull <em>‘clunk’</em> sound; causing the boy in front of you to jolt slightly. Boy, he was sure a twitchy one.</p><p>Placing both hands on his shoulders for comfort, you smile gently at him. “There’s no need to be so nervous. I was only wondering, is all.”</p><p>The boy’s whole posture seemed to deflate in relief. Any lingering stiffness toward you was snuffed out, followed by a curt nod at you before he waved you goodbye and resumed dashing down the hall at a high speed. You watch him nearly ram into a nurse carrying a stack of towels in her arms, yelling at him in vain as he rounds a corner and out of sight once more.</p><p>Chuckling softly to yourself, you resume carrying the pail by your feet with an inaudible grunt. You were thankful your father taught you to lift with your legs, otherwise you weren’t sure if you’d ever properly lift heavy things with your meager stature.</p><p>Your father was no longer around, leaving you to grow up on your own for the past ten years. With a heavy burden on your soul, you persevered. No other family in the internment zone paid you much mind except for the Shatz family— and you were truly grateful for that. You insisted upon keeping your home all by yourself and adopted your dog Maya from the streets over a year ago.</p><p>Bode was a wild card: treating you with as much respect as he did his fellow officers in the PSA, if not more. For the seven years you knew him, you suspected that Bode’s friendship with you struck deep chords in him for whatever reason. He was always especially private about his personal life, and you didn’t pry. The carefree and lighthearted nature he provided would often carry those around him to forget about whatever troubled them, and to merely enjoy the moment they were in.</p><p>Going through the motions provided you with success so far.</p><p>Your patient watches as you enter his room, still unmoving and chillingly stoic as before. You struggle a bit with shaky arms and cracking wrists as you hoist the bucket of water onto the desk in his isolated room. Carefully, you move the papers and ink sitting on the desk further to the corner so they wouldn’t accidentally get wet.</p><p>You distantly wonder how your patient could stand such a freezing room, with no windows or natural light, no heat from a hearth, and often chose to lay above his blankets rather than under them. If he saw you shiver suddenly, he made no move to mention it.</p><p>“You’re late.”</p><p>Like a brief swirl of wind through your ears, his deep voice filled the room with two flat words. For a moment, you had to inwardly chuckle at yourself, wondering if you’d heard his voice or if you imagined it. Far too many things distracted you during the day and Bode was infamous for teasing you for being such a careless dreamer. He’d often knock your head with his knuckles and ask who was home… much to your dismay.</p><p>Nevertheless, you crane your head to the side, turning your body halfway to see him staring at you from behind— quiet and motionless. Perhaps you had imagined his voice? The other patients you had seen during the day had been far more expressive than this one, and they would at least attempt some form of conversation rather than stare endle—</p><p>“You usually come every two hours. It’s been four since you’ve been in here.” Like a smack to the head, you came to your senses, noting that he was <em>indeed</em> speaking to you. As unnerving as his neutral stare was, his voice carried an irrevocably cold tone to it. Yet his eyes… or rather, <em>his eye</em>… carried oceans and mountains of unspoken emotion, swimming around violently in the teal hue.</p><p>If you didn’t compose yourself in the next five seconds, surely, you thought, he’d think you were so <em>strange</em> for standing there with wide eyes and mouth slightly ajar. Clearing your throat slightly to loosen up nervous vocal cords, you briefly turn around to wet a clean rag into the bucket in front of you.</p><p>“Apologies.” You mentally hit yourself for seeming so squeaky and weak. You hadn’t intended your voice to sound so fragile and <em>young</em>. For Helos’ sake, you were going to be twenty-one in July, surely you could hold your own conversation with another person.</p><p>It took another second of your internal rambling before you were aware that he was speaking to you again. “… you’re new to this, aren’t you?”</p><p>You absentmindedly brush a strand of hair behind your ear, before walking over to his side of the bed with moistened rag in tow. “Yes. I only started this morning.”</p><p>He made no move to acknowledge you other than stare at you as your dainty fingers brushed aside some loose strands of chocolate tresses from obstructing his limited vision. Placing the cool, wet rag on his forehead made him close his eye in relief.</p><p>A nurse had informed you shortly after you arrived that he was quarantined to a small room due to a residual fever, and the staff didn’t want to risk him spreading anything to the other psychiatric patients.</p><p>“What’s your name?” you ask quietly. Again, your voice is gentler than you’d like, yet seeing him close his eye, no longer boring emotionless holes in your face, seemed to settle your nerves.</p><p>“Kruger,” he answered almost immediately. You hummed in understanding, recalling that the young boy from earlier also said his name. A few seconds passed before he opened his mouth, you were unaware he had any more to say as you worked at tending the bandage on his left eye. “… Eren. Just call me Eren.”</p><p>A brow of yours lifted in surprise before unwrapping his eye fully; revealing the irritated and swollen stitches adorning his mangled eyelid.</p><p>“I’m Kathrin,” you state without fully thinking. Then, you regretted it as his right eye opened to peer at you curiously. As always, unspoken things seemed to flash through the turquoise orbs as he studied you for several seconds.</p><p>“Just Kathrin?” he asked, without much inflection to his tone. You weren’t sure how to read him or even if you <em>should</em> read him, just that his gaze was enough to make you squirm— as though you were a specimen under a microscope to be studied for further analysis.</p><p>“Well, my surname is Gruber, but…” a small smile tugged at your lips as you focused on cleaning the area of his injured eye, “I was supposed to be named (y/n), but it seems my father won in naming me Kathrin.”</p><p>Your voice was light and airy, like a warm breeze that hugged his face. Eren noticed the faraway glint in your eyes, the smile that didn’t reach your eyes, as though you were reminiscing about something bittersweet.</p><p>Ever since you entered his room, Eren had immediately noticed your nervous disposition, the asshole doctor who could hardly look at you, and the Eldian armband adorning your left arm. Configuring the pieces of a puzzle, Eren began to feel a burning fire in his stomach at the thought of you being mistreated. Surely, he had bore witness to countless examples of the citizens of Marley abusing Eldians, yet you were enticingly different. For whatever reason, he couldn’t stand to <em>think</em> of someone causing you harm.</p><p>Once your eyes locked with his when you first met, Eren found himself snapping back within himself. <em>You seemed so familiar.</em> Was it your eyes?</p><p>For too long he had battled with himself, constantly warring between who he really was, the specter of a passionate boy who yearned for freedom, hope, and love for his friends was locked away whenever the time called for it. Years passed since he obtained his Attack Titan yet being able to distinguish the line between his dreams and reality were becoming harder and harder to identify.</p><p>All Eren knew was that he found himself able to think clearly whenever you were around; as though the ominous fog that surrounded his brain was finally lifted. Being shook back into his own mind, his own body, was as jarring as ever. You offered a clarity to him by just simply existing.</p><p>For the first time in a while, the true Eren emerged.</p><p>Turning his head to the side, watching you rebandage his eye, Eren studied your profile as a dusty rose color ghosted across your cheeks.</p><p>And yet, for some reason, as unwavering his icy demeanor held before you, Eren felt his chest tighten and subconsciously swallowed. <em>You were not like the others.</em></p><p>The moment you turned to look at him with a smile and his eyes locked with your own, he knew with such unadulterated certainty, it scared him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, definitely a much shorter chapter but hopefully interesting nonetheless haha! I promise chapter 3 is much longer and will start ramping up on drama, action, you name it!</p><p>I saw a theory somewhere about Eren's behavior post-timeskip and I LOVE IT. So I hope you kinda can see the direction I'm taking this story as it goes along. </p><p>Who IS Kathrin? I mean, yeah she's an Ackerman and she doesn't know it... but what's with all the weird feeling's Eren's getting? WOO can't wait to share more! Thank you for reading, offering love, and commenting! I appreciate it more than you know~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I want Kathrin Gruber as my main nurse.”</p>
<p>“But Mr. Kruger—”</p>
<p>“Then I won’t continue the treatments,” he spoke, sharply cutting the blonde-haired nurse off. The two of them locked eyes, green and blue clashing in a silent battle for dominance. If the nurse’s stress lines weren’t visible before, they surely were now as she contemplated how wonderful an afternoon nap would be.</p>
<p>Yet, Eren never wavered from his cold stare, unblinking from his spot on the bed. The nurse lingered in the doorway, making a repressed huff before reluctantly accepting his request with a solemn nod, lowering the tray of medicine in her hands and muttering to herself about a much-needed trip to the local liquor shop after her shift.</p>
<p>Eren watched her leave, sighing as his body quickly healed from its sudden onslaught of unneeded painkillers he was prescribed daily.</p>
<p>It was nearing time that he would arrange a meeting with Reiner through Falco. Whenever Eren was authorized allotted time to wander town for breaks in treatment, he would ensure to keep a close eye on the Armored Titan’s daily activities. In truth though, it had only been a week since you began working at the Liberio hospital and Eren fought the bubbling urge of anger each time you plagued his thoughts. Such a distraction was dangerous to his original mission, he was aware of that much.</p>
<p>Even in his dreams, Eren dreamt of familiar eyes and luscious hair… he had to force himself awake many times, and others he couldn’t. In the latter dreams, he supposed they were future memories of whomever his successor was. A bit early, Eren figured, but who knew what the future really held in store for him. Eren guessed that his potential successor would know you in some way.</p>
<p>Looking into your eyes, he trusted you. Your glistening gaze held endless compassion, a potential friend in a land of foes.</p>
<p>Regardless, he wasn’t too fond of having imaginings of you, an Eldian nurse working in Marley, to appear so frequently through his muddled mind. He would often scowl, tossing and turning at night, in futile attempts to remove thoughts and dreams of you with all his will.</p>
<p>Yet, his brain’s image of you <em>would not go away</em>.</p>
<p>You surely appeared to be far less nervous around him since the first time you began taking care of his wounds. A confident smile would overcome your soft lips when you entered his secluded quarters, murmuring gentle greetings to him— a plain contrast to what Eren believed he deserved from anyone, yet grew used to, nonetheless. Whenever he tried to logically explain to himself why some nobody like you had an unexplainable effect on him, his brain would short-circuit, fizzling out with blinding static.</p>
<p>As oblivious as Eren could be at times, he knew you were growing on him. And he did not like that. Not one bit. Perhaps, a walk outside would do him well. A clear head would rid him of any interfering emotions.</p>
<p>With a slow trudge to the outer terrace, Eren eyed the usual bench he would sit at to bide his time, eagerly awaiting news or sightings of Reiner around Liberio. Seeing how a veteran was currently having an anxiety attack of sorts on the bench, Eren merely sighed and made his way to a corner by some shrubs. Shifting the wooden crutch under his other arm, Eren shifted his weight to lean against the wall, glancing absentmindedly at random insects and birds that flitted through the bushes beside him.</p>
<p>White wings flew in Eren’s peripheral, directing his attention to the wall above him. Lovely feathers of ivory adorned the dove that had landed next to him, dancing and cooing its own melody. To think such a lovely bird could exist and thrive in a desolate word both befuddled and amazed the brunette.</p>
<p>Soft footsteps tapped across the pavement as a figure approached Eren on his right. His heightened senses from years of restless combat, day and night, attuned him to the subtlest of changes in his surroundings. It was hard for anyone to sneak up on him, yet if his face betrayed any signs of surprise upon seeing your face, it left as quickly as it came.</p>
<p>Your blinding smile caught him off guard for the briefest of moments as you all but pranced your way over to the brunette. “Hey, are you feeling a bit better?”</p>
<p>You motioned to him being outside, leaning against the wall. You brightly noted how the color from his face had returned after his previous fever.</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Mind if I join you? It’s my break anyway.”</p>
<p>Of all the things Eren thought you could be doing beside spend time with him, out in the courtyard… he wasn’t sure what to make of your proposition. Yet, nonetheless, he played the part to accompany his nonchalance.</p>
<p>“Did you not eat or something?”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>You’re slightly spooked by the question, peeling yourself out of reality and hoping he didn’t notice your cheeks flush. You were in a daze staring at the man, suddenly realizing the tingling feeling in your chest. Just what in the world was going on with you?</p>
<p>“Oh… I forgot my lunch at home. It’s no worries! I feel fine. Being busy keeps my mind off my appetite.”</p>
<p>Eren’s eye stares into you for several moments, your breath long since gone and hitched tightly in your throat in anxious anticipation. You’d grown used to his awkward, distant silence in the short time you cared for him, yet this moment was far from calming.</p>
<p>“Suit yourself,” Eren finally decided and broke eye contact to stare off into the distance.      </p>
<p>His tone held no animosity, you knew that, but something about his aura didn’t seem as put off by you as his words seemed to imply. You wanted to ask about his time at the war, of what other nations and lands were like, of all the things and experiences rushing through his mind, but you held yourself back. It was highly inappropriate, highly volatile, and the last thing you wanted was to push him even farther into the recesses of his already active mind. Eren had amnesia after all—you didn’t want to make it harder on him by intruding.</p>
<p>You didn’t want to imagine war, of killing and death and bodies strewn about like feed for chickens and farm animals. You saw images of dead bodies in your father’s medical books, helped remove a body of a veteran just last night in part of the ward. Death was so normal for you, for the Eldians who lived in Marley, for soldiers like Eren who served a country who spit on his very existence. Perhaps, in a way, this was why you were so drawn to him. You couldn’t really tell. All you knew was that living in the past was your enemy, thinking too much would have gained you a scolding from your father.</p>
<p>Glancing back at Eren, he seemed unbothered by your silent presence, picking absently at some overgrown leaves.</p>
<p>The next words that came out of your mouth were unbridled, “Apparently my father got in trouble when he was younger, for always sneaking in this same courtyard to sketch the birds in his journal. He was always a fanatic of nature and new discoveries in general… hopping from one mystery to the next, almost like a detective of sorts.”</p>
<p>You only hoped to fill the silence, make some sort of small talk, but your breath hitched yet again as you glanced back as his unwavering gaze. His eye was focused on you, intently watching with vague interest.</p>
<p>“Is that what he does for a living?”</p>
<p>Surprise floated on your features for a moment, awkwardly clearing your throat as you ensured to entertain him with a response. You did not expect Eren to be interested, and perhaps walk away instead. But his stare did not move away from you.</p>
<p>“No, he’s passed on now… but he wouldn’t just sketch in his journal or anything,” you continued, “he’d wonder about new species of plants, insects, or animals and would even go as far as trying to predict weather patterns based on the temperature and direction of the breeze. Weirdly enough, he was right quite often. He was fortunate to be noticed by Marley and was offered a job with some sort of scientific research—it piqued his interest immediately. He ended up traveling a lot, writing down new things in his journal, and brought back lots of things; including some medical books that I was really interested in when I was younger. It’s helped me a lot here.”</p>
<p>Eren left a soft grunt of assurance. You didn’t expect much different from him but reminiscing about your father with a stranger helped you release pent up grief. You never even told Bode much after your father’s death, only keeping it in to cry in bed at night, away from anyone who would never understand.</p>
<p>An unfamiliar voice jolted you out of your thoughts, nearly knocking Eren over in the process as someone approached you rapidly.</p>
<p>A thin, short man came over to you with high amounts of energy. You opened your mouth in confusion before being cut off.</p>
<p>“Hey! You’re Kathrin Gruber, correct? I’m Norris Brellheim and I just wanted to let you know that I overheard you reminiscing about your father and I hope I’m not intruding! Frey was such an intelligent soul and I miss him greatly!”</p>
<p>You did not notice Eren standing up straighter from behind you, glowering down at the man in front of you. If Norris noticed, he made no move to show it.</p>
<p>You fidgeted with your garments awkwardly. “Oh, well… thank you, sir.”</p>
<p>Crooked teeth smiled widely at you, causing a nervous frown to form on your voice out of sheer politeness. “No trouble at all! I certainly miss Frey and I can imagine you miss him too,” from behind you, Eren squinted at the man as they finally made eye contact. “Well, I better be off now. It was lovely to hear about him again. Apologies again for the intrusion.”</p>
<p>You watched him tip his hat to you and leave the courtyard, back out into the bustling streets and sidewalks, disappearing into the crowd.</p>
<p>“Hm. How nice that he knew my dad. Maybe I’ll ask him some stories of him sometime.”</p>
<p>“Do you know him?” Eren asked, voice tight despite showing little emotion. You turned around to face him, barely noticing the tension sagging from his shoulders once you looked at him.</p>
<p>The question made your stomach sink, yet you racked your memory if a short middle-aged man had been familiar to you at all. You saw lots of people every day, but had a generally good memory when it came to remembering faces. <em>Norris Brellheim… short, thin, graying hair poking out of a burgundy hat. Puffy hazel eyes and thin facial features</em>.</p>
<p>For Eren’s sake, you decided to lie a bit. He certainly seemed more tense around the man than you were. “No, but I’ve seen him around the town square before. Another Eldian I guess. I’m sure he knew me when I was younger or something.”</p>
<p>A rush of people were heading back inside the hospital at once, nurses escorting patients back to their rooms and doctors returning from their lunch breaks. “Oh, the nurses are heading back in. I’ll head to the washroom and be right back to grab you and bring you back to your room.”</p>
<p>Eren nodded silently at you as you turned on your heel. Your boots stopped in the dusty pavement mid-step, remembering something important. You could feel Eren’s emerald eye peering at you in confusion, so you turned around to explain.</p>
<p>Staring back at him did not help your nerves. You wanted to get to know him, wanted to ask about him, spend more time with him. For reasons you did not know nor could explain. Yet again, more words left your mouth unhindered.</p>
<p>“Oh, I almost forgot. Would you… ah. Would you like to join me for dinner at a family friend’s home tonight? You seem to be healthy so far, so… I think it would be alright to bring you out.”</p>
<p>You wanted to smack yourself, for being so clueless as to ask a patient you did not know to dinner. You immediately bit your cheek, feeling embarrassed as the words left your mouth. How stupid you were for even asking this stranger—</p>
<p>“Would they want me there?”</p>
<p>You were… not expecting that. It was neither a no nor a yes. With the way Eren’s head tilted slightly, you were certain that he was intrigued by your question. You still felt embarrassed for bringing it up, no doubt, but seeing his expression relieved a bit of tension from your chest.</p>
<p>Smoothing your skirt, you stood a bit more confidently, giving Eren a soft smile. “They’re very friendly. Plus, I imagine that their food will be much better than the hospital rations. Anyway, it’s up to you if you’d like to join or not. I just felt the need to extend the offer.”</p>
<p>Several moments passed in silence as Eren’s face remained unreadable, his expression did not change from blankness, and you had to avert your gaze from his to shy away from the awkwardness. You opened your mouth to reassure him that it was no big deal if he did not feel like going, that he could answer another time too. The last thing you wanted was to make him uncomfortable.</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>Eren didn’t know why he said yes. But seeing the bright glint in your eyes and beaming smile on your face as you promised you’d be right back, for a moment, he could simply be.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey, wow. It's been a hot minute, huh? I'm really sorry for that! I got some serious burnout from writing in general. I had some health issues, got overwhelmed with school, and typically pretty apathetic toward writing :/ sorry about that. </p>
<p>But, now that I have some inspiration back, I definitely want to finish this fic. I already have a better idea with the direction I want to go. I literally woke up in the middle of the night with a eureka moment lol. Plus, I'd never want to half-ass a story or plot. Ah but anyway. I hope you all have been well! This is a shorter chapter than originally intended. I need to flesh out the relationship between Eren and Reader/Kathrin so that it's more realistic. Also, my original thought for chapter 3 was like, really long lol. So I divided it up so it wasn't too fast-paced either. </p>
<p>Thank you all for the support! I hope you all are enjoying season 4!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please bear with me for any mistakes, I do proofread but I have dyslexia and I often find silly mistakes after I upload that I make sure to change and fix when I can :)</p><p>So, it’s a bit of a different format for a reader-insert lol. The reader has a name and some physical appearances that are given. The main reason is that the reader is secretly an Ackerman! She is also Levi’s younger sister! *gasp*! Neither of them knows this fact, however. I've attempted to keep physical appearances as ambiguous as I can so that it's more immersive and appropriate for a reader-insert story.</p><p>But what is she doing in Marley? We’ll find out as the story develops!</p><p>I hope this is a decent idea for this story. I’ve been wanting to do an Older!Eren fic for a while now, and finally decided to go for it. (Manbun Eren has me a little weak at the knees ok? Even if he has gone full psychopath mode in the manga lmao)</p><p>I’m sort of rusty on the manga chapters and had to do some research, as well as make up some things that weren’t entirely discussed or addressed about Marley. Bear with me, lol! </p><p>This story will definitely have sex scenes in the future. If that's not for you, feel free to check out this story in other places that it's posted, listed below. The rating over on those will omit sexual content in the chapters it is posted.</p><p>Should I be starting a new fanfic when I have others I desperately need to update? Probably not. But c’est la vie ;) </p><p>Also found on Quotev (theinsomniaowl)</p><p>Please do feel free to leave me feedback or comments. Thank you all for reading! </p></blockquote></div></div>
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